Toilet deodorizer



April 1967 P. E. T. KRISTENSEN ET AL 3,311,931

TOILET DEODORI ZER Filed April 9, 1964 2 SheetsSheet 1 April 4, 1967 P.E. T. KRISTENSEN ET AL 3,311,931

TOILET DEODORIZER Filed April 9, .1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5; "III L g 29 T,W m I l FIG-4- United States Patent Ofiflce 3,311,931 TOILET DEODORIZERPoul Erik Toft Kristensen and George Ralph McKee, Windsor, Ontario,Canada, assignors to Allan J. Ashton, Dorchester, Ontario, Canada FiledApr 9, 1964, Ser. No. 358,545 6 Claims. (Cl. 4227) This inventionrelates to a deodorizer for use in water closet flush tanks of the typegenerally used.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicientdeodorizer device for a water closet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a deodorizer device in theform of a self-contained unit which may be acquired as an accessory andeasily and conveniently installed upon the existing overflow pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a deodorizer such that isoperates to supply a solution of the deodorizing agent to the bowl afterit has been flushed, so that the solution will remain stagnant in thebowl between successive flushings.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a deodorizer suchthat a solution of a deodorizing agent will be supplied to the bowl andto a lesser extent, to the water tank as well.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts in the various figures,

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a conventional water closet flush tankequipped with a deodorizer made in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational cross-section of the deodorizer, with a bagof deodorizing powder enclosed;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the device, in part broken away; and,

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the device, partly broken away, inoperative position upon the overflow p1pe.

Referring now by numerals to the drawings, shows a flush tank having theconventional fittings, namely, flush valve controlling the flow throughthe drain pipe 14, overflow pipe 13, water pressure pipe 11,float-operated valve 16, and outlet pipe 12 for filling the tank.Instead of the after-fill pipe which usually extends from thefloatoperated valve into the overflow pipe 13, the valve 16 is providedwith a vertically-extending pipe P adapted to discharge water into thedeodorizer device A of the present invention. Thus, the device A issupplied with water as the tank is being filled, following flushing.

The device A of the present invention will now be described. The devicecomprises essentially a container C which sits upon the upper end of theoverflow pipe 13 and in which is a deodorizer, say, a bag D containing asuitable deodorizing powder, a certain volume of water being suppliedinto the container as the flush tank is being refilled, followingflushing.

The container is adapted to contain at all times a certain volume(level) of water, in which at least part of the bag D is submerged.Following flushing, and as already stated, a certain volume of water issupplied to the container to mix with the solution already in thecontainer, the mixture overflowing into the drain pipe 13 to reach andrest in the toilet bowl, where it will remain until the next flushing.

The container C is made of a lower part 20 and an upper part 21 whichremovably sits upon the upper edge of the lower part 20.

Depending from the floor of the lower part 20 of the container is atubular member or sleeve 25, the sleeve extending for a certain distanceabove the floor as at 37, this latter sleeve being provided (preferably)with a downwardly-extending port or narrow aperture 33. Also formedthrough one vertical wall of the lower part 20 is a 3,31 1,931 PatentedApr. 4, 1967 port or narrow slit 21A, the lower edge of the port 33being on the same level as the lower edge of the slit 21A.

Formed on the upper face of the floor of the lower part 20 are ribs 28,the ribs at one end (the right-hand end as seen in FIGURE 2) merginginto vertically-directed ribs 30 extending inwardly from the inside faceof the adjacent vertical wall of the lower part 20. The ribs not onlyserve as reinforcing means but also serve to support the bag D above thefloor of the lower part 2!).

Depending from the floor of the part 20 are ribs 27. These ribs not onlyserve as reinforcing means but also support the container C, moreparticularly the floor of the lower part 20, spaced from the upper edgeof the overflow pipe 13 as when the container C is in operativeposition, that is, when resting upon the upper end of the overflow pipe13 so that water may freely escape down into the overflow pipe 13 fromthe water tank 10.

The upper part 21 of the container is formed with an aperture 38 throughits floor, a vertical wall 40 rising from the floor to surround theaperture.

Depending from the floor of the upper part 21, and surrounding the'aperture 38, is a tubular (preferably) inwardly-tapered tubular portion41, the length of this portion being (preferably) such as to telescopeslightly into the upper end of the tubular portion 37 rising from thefloor of the lower part 20 of the container C.

Formed through the floor of the part 21 is a number of apertures 43through which water in the upper part 21 may flow into the lower part20.

Formed on the outside of the tubular portion 25 of the lower part 20 areribs 42 tapering outwardly from bottom to top, as best seen in FIGURE 2.So tapering the ribs facilitates the application of the device upon theoverflow pipe 13.

Operation Upon flushing (by raising the flush valve 15), the flush tankgradually empties in spite of fresh water being admitted into the tank10 through the pipe 12. When the tank becomes empty, the valve 15, whichis floatingly kept open as long as liquid remains in the tank, closes bygravity, following which the level of the water in the tank graduallyrises until the float-operated valve 16 closes. While the valve 16 isopen, a certain volume of water rising through the water-pressure pipe11 enters the pipe P, to be discharged into the device A moreparticularly into the upper part 21 of the container C, part of whichdrops through the apertures 43 into the lower part 20. If water isdischarged into the upper part 21 by the pipe P faster than it dropsthrough the aperttures 43, the level of the water will rise above theupper end of the tubular portion 40 and spill into the overflow pipe 13.

The minimum level of water in the lower part 20 is determined orcontrolled by the port 33, any liquid lying above the lower edges of theport 33 and slit 21A dropping into the drain pipe 13 and into the tank10.

The slit 21A is preferably made narrower than the port 33 so that moreof the solution in the lower part 20 will drop into the drain pipe 13(and therefore into the toilet bowl) than in the water tank 10.

The diameter of the pipe P, and the diameter and the number of thedischarge apertures 43, slit 21A and port 33 and the height of thetubular member 40, are such that upon the closing of the flush valve 15,the upper part 21 will be filled, that is, filled to the level of theupper end of the tubular member 40. The water dropping through theapertures 43 into the lower part 20 of the container mixes with thedeodorizing solution, and the mixture overflows partly into the watertank 10 through the slit 21A, and partly but mostly into the drain pipe13, through the port 33. At all times, a minimum volume or level ofwater remains in the lower part and partly submerges the bag ofdeodorizer. The concentration of the solution increases gradually untilsaturation, or until a fresh volume of water is admitted, after flushingof the toilet, into the solution, with which it mixes, the mixtureoverflowing partly into the flush tank but mainly into the drain pipe13.

We claim:

1. A deodorizer for water closet flush tanks of the kind including awater supply pipe and after-fill pipe and flushing valve and overflowpipe arrangement, said deodorizer comprising a container including alower chamber, and an upper chamber adapted to receive water from theafterfill pipe and having escape apertures for allowing water receivedthereinto from the after-fill pipe to escape into said lower chamber,said lower chamber including a tubular member extending upwardly fromthe floor of said chamber and downwardly from said floor to project intothe overflow pipe when said container is resting in operative positionupon the overflow pipe, said lower chamber being adapted to enclose adeodorizing substance which is immersed in the water within said lowerchamber.

2. A deodorizer as in claim 1, wherein said upper chamber is removablysupported by said lower chamber.

3. A deodorizer as in claim 1, wherein the floor of said lower chamberis provided with ribs to retain the deodorizing substance spaced fromthe floor to facilitate circulation of liquid under the deodorizingsubstance.

4. A deodorizer as in claim 3, wherein reinforcing ribs are provided onthe underside of said floor.

5. A deodorizer as in claim 1, wherein said upwardlyextending tubularmember is formed with an escape port below the level of the upper edgeof said tubular member.

6. A deodorizer as in claim 5, wherein a side wall of said lower chamberis formed with an escape slit on a level with said first-mentionedescape.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1951 Foster4228 10/1963 Finkbiner 4228 SAMUEL ROTHBERG, H. I. GROSS,

Assistant Examiners.

1. A DEODORIZER FOR WATER CLOSET FLUSH TANKS OF THE KIND INCLUDING AWATER SUPPLY PIPE AND AFTER-FILL PIPE AND FLUSHING VALVE AND OVERFLOWPIPE ARRANGEMENT, SAID DEODORIZER COMPRISING A CONTAINER INCLUDING ALOWER CHAMBER, AND AN UPPER CHAMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE WATER FROM THEAFTERFILL PIPE AND HAVING ESCAPE APERTURES FOR ALLOWING WATER RECEIVEDTHEREINTO FROM THE AFTER-FILL PIPE TO ESCAPE INTO SAID LOWER CHAMBER,SAID LOWER CHAMBER INCLUDING A TUBULAR MEMBER EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROMTHE FLOOR OF SAID CHAMBER AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FLOOR TO PROJECT INTOTHE OVERFLOW PIPE WHEN SAID CONTAINER IS RESTING IN OPERATIVE POSITIONUPON THE OVERFLOW PIPE, SAID LOWER CHAMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE ADEODORIZING SUBSTANCE WHICH IS IMMERSED IN THE WATER WITHIN SAID LOWERCHAMBER.